


i don’t make the rules but i break them up

by nex_et_nox



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s02e13 Houses of the Holy, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-11
Updated: 2015-03-11
Packaged: 2018-03-17 08:56:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3523244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nex_et_nox/pseuds/nex_et_nox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel hears a curious prayer and decides to investigate. Which of course meant that there was no way this could possibly go wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i don’t make the rules but i break them up

**Author's Note:**

> OLD FIC. REALLY OLD FIC. I found it by digging around in my hard drive and decided to go ahead and post it. Enjoy?

Gabriel was always aware of the prayers that were coming to him as Loki. It was part of the job description – people prayed to him, he would answer. When he had been the Messenger of Heaven, he had tapped into almost every prayer. Some of them had been addressed to him, so he had obviously listened. Some had been addressed to his Father, and Gabriel knew that He wouldn’t mind. Some had been for various other angels.

He was always so _aware_.

And sometimes, even as Loki, he answered.

* * *

 

Gabriel heard whispers, prayers about a priest of a church that had been killed and a tough neighborhood and doubts about the “angels” that had been showing up, convincing people to murder others —

He finished his most recent job hurriedly and snapped his wings open.

* * *

 

“…um, actually, maybe I can’t. Um. This is a séance.”

“A séance? Young man, you are in a House of God!” The protest came from a priest, and Gabriel could tell that he was the one who had been praying. The other man in the room shifted nervously.

“It’s based on early Christian rites, if that helps any,” he said sheepishly.

Gabriel barely contained a snort from where he was still standing in the shadows. He was waiting for the spirit, which the younger man had called, to appear.

“Enough. You’re coming with me,” the priest – Father Reynolds – said firmly.

“Father, please, you – just wait a second!” the tall one protested.

Reynolds started ushering the other man – Sam, Gabriel pulled from his mind – toward the door, but light flared behind them as the spirit Sam had summoned was pulled in by the ritual. Reynolds turned in surprise. Sam, Gabriel noted, turned with sharp disappointment.

“Oh my God,” Reynolds whispered. “Is that…is that an angel?”

Sam opened his mouth, his shoulders slumped—

“No,” Gabriel said, stepping from the shadows. “It’s not.”

The two humans spun around to stare at him. He walked past them to the figure wreathed in light and pressed one hand to its forehead.

The figure coalesced into the visage of the young priest Gabriel had seen in Reynolds’ prayers.

 _Gregory_ , Reynolds’ mind whispered in shock.

The younger priest was staring at Gabriel. “Who…” he asked hesitantly, “Who are you?”

Gabriel smirked. “That’s not important,” he said flippantly, one hand still resting on the spirit’s forehead. “But I can tell you that if you really were an angel – which you aren’t, by the way, you’re just a spirit – you would be more…well, more. It’s hard to explain.”

Father Gregory just kept looking at him with dumb shock. The spirit could tell that though Gabriel looked human, under the surface was something else – the wild magic of a Trickster and the powerful Grace of an angel.

Gabriel’s expression softened somewhat. He removed his hand and reached up to kiss the priest gently on the forehead. “Rest in peace,” he said quietly. He looked up at the ceiling, and though he had left Heaven, though he’d definitely left for some pretty damn good reasons, though he had sworn he had cast off everything he had been (Messenger, archangel, son, _brother_ ), he suddenly felt a softening deep inside that allowed him to be calm and kind when he spoke. “Raphael, brother, clear the way. And don’t worry about me, I’m doing fine down here. If you ever see Dad around anywhere tell Him ‘hi’ for me.”

Gregory smiled softly as he dissolved. Gabriel continued to stare up at the ceiling for a few seconds, his expression slightly pinched.

“Are you…?” Reynolds asked.

“Hello,” Gabriel said, giving a half wave as he turned to face them. “I’m Loki. Nice to meet you.”

“But Loki’s a pagan god!” Sam objected immediately, dismay and fierce hope combating inside him.

“Wellll,” Gabriel drawled out. “Telling you my real name sounds a bit personal for a first date. You have to at least buy me a drink first.”

Sam snorted in an almost horrified amusement. But there was no denying to them that Gabriel _was_ an angel, so the best renegade archangel could do was not actually let out who he was.

“Thank you,” Reynolds said gratefully, his eyes meeting Gabriel’s.

“Meh,” Gabriel shrugged. His head tilted to the side, listening intently. “Uh oh,” the archangel murmured to himself. “Gotta run, boys. Might catch you later, but right now little bro’s trying to find me again.”

Gabriel took flight with the beating of six great wings, leaving behind two astounded humans.


End file.
